Short answer
You can smoke cannabis once it is properly dried, usually 7–14 days after harvest, when small stems snap and a sealed sample jar reads a stable 58–65% RH. It gets noticeably better after at least 2 weeks of curing, and most growers cure for 4–8 weeks. Grower practice: the timings are well established in practice, not optimised by research.
Why
Dryness sets the earliest date. Dried flower should sit at water activity 0.55–0.65 [1]. Wetter buds burn badly, go out and risk mould in the jar.
Drying and curing shape the aroma. Air-drying shifts the oil away from volatile monoterpenes [2], and in hemp, terpenes were more affected by drying method than by storage [4]. A slow dry keeps more of them, and the cure lets the aroma settle.
Potency doesn't climb with time. In storage THC slowly declines, oxidising to CBN with air and breaking down with light [3]. Curing changes smoothness and aroma, not strength.
The numbers
| Stage | Days from harvest | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh or fast-dried sample | 1–5 | Harsh, grassy; not representative |
| Dried (stems snap) | 7–14 | Smokable |
| Short cure | +2 weeks | Noticeably smoother (reported) |
| Typical full cure | +4–8 weeks | Settled aroma (reported) |
| Jar check | 12–24 h sealed | Stable 58–65% RH to start the cure |
What to do
- Dry for 7–14 days in the dark at 15–21 °C (60–70 °F) and 55–62% RH.
- From day 5, bend small stems. When they snap, seal a sample in a jar for 12–24 hours.
- If the jar reads a stable 58–65%, jar the crop about ¾ full and start curing.
- Try a little after the first week of curing if you like, but judge the crop after 2–4 weeks or more.
- Burp the jars daily in week 1, every 2–3 days in week 2, then weekly.
Common mistakes
- Microwaving a bud to try it on harvest day.
- Jarring before the stems snap.
- Judging a whole crop on a sample that was dried fast.
- Leaving jars in sunlight.
Related
- Full article: Drying cannabis
- Answers: why is my weed harsh? · quick-drying methods · whole plant or branches?
- Article: curing and burping
- Terms: curing · stem snap test
